CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers have removed all water fountains from The Q.

To get a drink of water at the arena, you must stand in line at a concession stand, where you can get a small courtesy cup of water for free or pay $4 for bottled water.

Team spokesman Tad Carper said the Cavs took out the fountains in November to reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses that cause H1N1 flu and other illnesses. He said Friday that with health-related decisions like this one, the team takes advice from the NBA and the International Association of Assembly Managers.

However, officials from those organizations said in interviews that they are not recommending that fountains be removed.

"We have not made any recommendations for teams to turn off water fountains. That is strictly for teams to decide in their own market," NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said.

McIntyre said he was not aware of any other team that has taken this step. He did not know that the Cavs had removed fountains until he was informed by The Plain Dealer.

Harold Hansen, director of life safety and security for theInternational Association of Assembly Managers, said he has not heard of any facilities taking this step either. The association recommends regular, thorough cleanings of all hard surfaces but not removing fountains, Hansen said.

"We didn't issue advice on any specific actions," said Hansen, whose group represents managers of auditoriums, arenas, stadiums, convention centers, theaters, amphitheaters and exhibit halls. "The local health department is a much better source."

Local health officials said in interviews Friday that research does not suggest that turning off water fountains is necessary to fight the spread of viruses.

"There is nothing out there that suggests that water fountains are a particular concern," said Matt Carroll, director of the Cleveland Department of Public Health. "I'm not aware of places that have turned off their water fountains."

The commissioner of the Cuyahoga County Health Department, Terry Allan, said that if a fountain's spray is so weak that people must put their lips on the spout, fountains could spread viruses, but that's not a concern if the water pressure is good.

"We're certainly not recommending that people turn off water fountains," Allan said.

When Carper was informed of the comments by the NBA, the Association of Assembly Managers and local health officials, he said he did not mean to imply that the league or the association had recommended turning off the fountains.

"It's a decision that we made, ultimately. We felt comfortable about doing that and that it was the right thing to do, and we still feel that way," Carper said. "We wanted to provide the healthiest environment we could for our fans."

But some fans find that explanation hard to swallow.

"That's baloney," said 27-year-old Tiffany Hanas of Waterford, Pa., who attended last Thursday's Cavs-Miami Heat game at The Q.

She and others said they felt gouged when they paid $4 for a bottle of Aquafina at The Q concession stands. They could have taken a small courtesy cup of tap water for free, but, after waiting in line decided to pay for the bottled water. As fans spouted off about the cost of water and lack of fountains, they said the decision to remove the fountains was motivated by greed.

"The reason is so you have to buy a $4 water," said 17-year-old Matt Woods of Wadsworth.